Notice of Exemption for Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School Field, Track, and Amphitheater Project(4465404.1) (1)

The Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary School Field, Track, and Amphitheater Project is a local public works initiative led by the Soquel Union Elementary School District in Santa Cruz, California, aimed at upgrading school grounds with artificial turf, a running track, a scoreboard, an amphitheater, a new parking lot, and a fire access road, along with related grading, landscaping, and utility improvements. The project does not increase school capacity and is designed to enhance safety, accessibility, and community use of the facility. Environmental review was completed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), with the agency determining eligibility for multiple categorical exemptions including Class 1 (minor land alterations), Class 2 (replacement of existing facilities), Class 3 (construction of small structures), Class 4 (minor land changes), Class 11 (accessory structures), Class 14 (school improvements within existing capacity), and Class 23 (normal operations for public gatherings), which collectively justify the exemption from a full environmental impact report. The project is located at 8005 Winkle Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95065, and was publicly noticed on January 15, 2026, through CEQAnet as a forecast and exemption notice rather than a formal solicitation or contract. There is no identified contract value, pricing structure, delivery schedule, or performance period, and no federal acquisition regulations or contract clauses apply, as the initiative is purely state and locally governed. No formal procurement process, contract type, or solicitation number exists in the documentation; instead, the project operates under California’s CEQA exemption framework, with administrative oversight provided by the Soquel Union Elementary School District. The primary contact for the project is Pam Crum, Bond & Facility Manager, with Alison Warner, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services, serving as the lead agency representative. There are no specifications for inspection criteria, packaging, invoicing methods, payment offices, contracting officers, technical representatives, or offeror certifications, and no financial estimates or cost data are available. The project is not subject to federal acquisition requirements such as FAR, DFARS, WAWF, or other procurement systems, and all documentation is focused on environmental compliance and notification rather than competitive bidding, contract administration, or performance contracting. Submission of the exemption notice occurred through CEQAsubmit/CEQAnet, with no formal proposal, bid, or response process required, and no deadlines or evaluation criteria were established because the action qualifies as a statutory exemption requiring no competitive procurement.